#TBT: When a Tesla Set the Production EVS Record at Pikes Peak

On Sunday, June 24th, thousands will flock to Colorado Springs, CO to attend this year’s Pikes Peak hillclimb race, where some 60 cars and 24 motorcycles will be competing to set the fastest time. Drivers will negotiate 12.5 treacherous miles and 156 turns of asphalt road that takes them 10,000 feet higher than where they started. There’s no safe run-off space here – most often a single mistake will send the car and driver somersaulting down the cliff side. The “Race to the Clouds” has been running since 1916, and has seen famous names like Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Ari Vatanen, Rod and Rhys Millen, and Sebastian Loeb take top honors in the past.

Since we noticed the race is coming up this weekend, it reminded us of the 100th anniversary event in 2016, when K1 Speed sponsored the GO PUCK Tesla Model S that was driven by GO PUCK CEO and Founder, Blake Fuller who had previously won the Pikes Peak Rookie of the Year honor in 1999 and the Open Class race in 2002.

The Tesla was lightened by almost 800 pounds prior to its race, with everything gutted inside to make way for safety equipment. Despite this being the first time a Tesla Model S had entered the competition, the GO PUCK Tesla set a new world electric production car record of 11 minutes, 48 seconds – obliterating the old time of 12:55 by more than a minute! This record still stands two years later, and fingers crossed it will still hold at the conclusion of this weekend.

This year, Volkswagen is entering their purpose-built all-electric I.D. R racecar in an attempt to break the record for any electric vehicle, currently at 8:57.118. The space-age looking car is driven by three-time Pikes Peak winner Romain Dumas and has already topped the timesheets in its initial qualifying session. We can’t wait to tune in and see what kind of lap it can set!

For more about Pikes Peak, and to purchase a live stream of Sunday’s event, CLICK HERE.